Oh, How I Wished I Could Read!

The author of The First Forest seems lost in the woods with this heavy-handed bit of bibliotherapy. In his dream, the narrator embarks on a journey through town, narrowly avoiding mishaps because he can't read. Unable to decipher warning signs (although he has been able to dream them up perfectly), he contracts poison ivy, gets stuck in wet cement, is treed by a passel of unsociable doggies, etc. Gile relays the dreary details of the outing in sing-song verse-``I was lost and alone and afraid as could be/ of the readingless troubles still waiting for me'' (lest anyone miss the point, ``readingless'' is used four times). Fiorello's cartoon art is no better than the text: facial features and characters' emotions are so exaggerated as to be either cliches (steam emerges from an irate motorist's ears) or outright irritants-the protagonist's boomerang-shaped eyes are especially annoying. Ages 4-9. (Jan.)